Little things in life need to be appreciated, cherished and shared.

Well, at least I think so.

Here’s what made me happy recently…

Fruit salad – a bowl bursting with health.

Fruit yogurt parfaits, they are so adorable.

Getting new yarn for a new crocheting project that I am about to start soon.

Cute wooden buttons for the same project.

Orgainizing my beads finally. Yay!

A smiley face.

Starting to read this book.

I so recommend all ‘Shopaholic’ series books from Sophie Kinsella. It is the most amusing reading ever! If you want to laugh a lot and have a really great time, get one of them.

And big thanks to my dear sister for introducing Sophie Kinsella into my life. You’re the best!

Oh, and wearing my recently finished gloves. They are super warm and I love that.

Have the most wonderful rest of the week, dear friends.

See you soon.

Love,
Petra

Rice pudding used to be one of my most favorite treats when I was a kid.

My beloved Mom liked to prepare it quite often. Sometimes she made a rice pudding, and sometimes she turned rice pudding into a sweet rice pie, a lovely comfort food which you achieve by baking sweet boiled rice for a couple of minutes and then you serve it with fruit syrup. I liked that one too. But frankly, I liked it much better when my Mom had a bit of a lazy day and declared ‘That’s it!’ over a pot of steaming and fragrant boiled rice. I can still remember those days… the pot was green, the rice was sweet, and the life was magical.

Oh yeah, childhood… but back to the recipe… this is how I made the treat today…

This is what we need.

Oh, how I love simplicity.

1. In a medium saucepan combine the milk, …

… rice (I like to rinse it in warm water), …

… and salt. Place the saucepan over high heat and bring to a boil.

2. Reduce the heat to medium/medium-low and simmer until the rice is tender (about 20 minutes).

Stir the milk mixture frequently using a heatproof rubber spatula or wooden spoon to prevent the rice from sticking to the bottom of the pan.

3. When the rice is tender (al dente) remove from heat and add the sugar, vanilla extract, and ground cinnamon.

4. Return to heat and cook until the rice pudding thickens, about 5 to 10 minutes.

5. Remove from heat and add the raisins, if you wish to.

6. Spoon the pudding into your serving glasses or bowls.

Serve warm or cold.

And most importantly, enjoy the taste of magic!

Love,
Petra

(Recipe adapted from JoyOfBaking.com. Makes 4 servings.)

Crochet Fingerless Gloves – my new pattern.

I like these a lot. They are warm, cozy, and having all those cheerful colors, they are really fun to wear.

Do you remember this Crochet Owl Purse?

The gloves were actually made to match the purse.

A cute couple they make.

In case you’d like to see more details about the gloves, just visit my shop.

Happy weekend, dear friends!

See you soon!

Love,
Petra

I am in love with this recipe.

It is healthy, it is perfect if you want to cut back on calories a little, it is ready in a couple of minutes, yet it is very satisfying and full of flavor.

A gem. A total keeper.

And the result looks cute too.

If you try it, dear friends, I am sure you’ll like it…

This is what we need. Simple indeed.

1. To begin, cook the broccoli florets in salty water for about 5 minutes.

When cooked, drain them and rinse them with cold water. Set aside.

2. Preheat the oven to 400 °F (200 °C).

3. Working one at a time, place the chicken breasts between two sheets of plastic wrap and pound them.

4. Remove the top wrap and season the meat with salt (about 1/4 tsp per large chicken breast), cayenne pepper powder (about 1/8 tsp), and black pepper powder (about 1/8 tsp).

5. Cut the cheese wedge in smaller pieces…

… and arrange it at the near end of the pounded breast.

Use one cheese wedge per one breast.

6. Place about 3-4 tablespoons of the broccoli on top of the cheese.

7. Use the remaining piece of wrap to assist you in rolling the breast and forming a tight roll.

8. Secure the ends and the seam with a couple of toothpicks.

9. Pour about 2 tablespoons vegetable oil in a skillet or frying pan and put it on medium heat.

10. Once hot, sear the rolls on all sides until white in color (about 1 minute per side). This will help keep the lovely juices in while baking.

11. Brush a baking pan with some vegetable oil and place the rolls inside, the seam side down.

12. Bake at 400 °F (200 °C) for 30 minutes.

13. In the meantime, prepare the light gravy. Add the milk, broth, pepper, paprika, and garlic powder into the pan where the chicken was being seared. Cook, stirring frequently, for about 5 minutes.

Remove the chicken from the oven, pour the sauce over the rolls and serve.

Enjoy!

Love,
Petra

(This recipe was adapted from Blommi.com. It makes 4 chicken rolls.)

Enjoying the small things? Yes, please. Me like that!

Here are a few of them that’s made me really happy recently.

Like visiting Gibby – our beloved gibbon – at the zoo the other day. He greeted us with joyful jumping. We told him we can’t wait for the spring to come because then we’ll be able to give him the apple slices he likes so much. He smiled, waved, and said he loved us so, so, SO much …well, not all that, but nearly.

Next amazing thing – dandelions in January!

What?

A small picnic in pure nature.

Hot honey tea when it freezes outside.

Happy dogs.

The warmest and coziest boots ever.

The sunshine.

Cute little playful monkeys. 

A camel. They call her Baba.

And this beautiful sunset.

I loved it all.

Have the most wonderful week, dear friends! Enjoy the small things!

Love,

Petra

Today, I was waking up deciding what to prepare for my blog – whether it would be the long planned soft pretzels recipe, or a lovely beverage called hot toddy.

One look outside the window made it all perfectly clear (because yes, in my strange world the weather and light is everything).

The sun was shining extremely bright. As if begging to send some of its rays through a hot, sweet, and delicious cup, helping to make the drink that’s inside look as magical, warming, and soothing as it in fact really is.

So, the Hot Toddy it is!

An efficient cold-healing potion, and a relaxer par excellence.

As somebody once said: “Hot Toddy has it all – the vitamin C for health, the honey to soothe, the alcohol to numb.”

And I drank it …in the morning …and don’t even have a cold … and yes, I had a great day…

If you want to have a great day too, all you need to do is to mix all these ingredients, that’s all.

And drink it happily.

And should the need arise, just have another one.

Also, feel free to experiment with your favorite types of tea or skip it all together and use hot water alone.

My day was in fact so nice and relaxed, that I decided to share the hot toddy picture and the bright morning sun with you. The downloads below offer large enough pictures to make a nice desktop wallpaper. So grab yours, if you want to. They are here for you, and they are for free:

Download 1440×960

Download 1366×911

Download 1280×853

Download 1024×683

I edited the picture some more and ended up with this vintage feel. I liked it a lot, so I made this one downloadable too:

Download 1440×960

Download 1366×911

Download 1280×853

Download 1024×683

Enjoy!

Love,
Petra

A new pattern has been born.

This time it’s Crochet Owl Purse!

I have to admit that I have fallen in love with owls completely …and with all big-eyed creatures in general, to tell you the whole truth.

The pattern took me about one week to prepare – from the very first idea up to editing the last picture and writing down the last word today.

I love it when a cute idea comes. I sketch and jot down notes.

Then comes the mess… and taking about a zillion pictures… and many mugs of hot tea milk. I love this phase the most.

And I like when the real thing resembles the initial idea.

This doesn’t happen that often, which is why I really cherish moments like these.

It was a lot of fun creating this pattern.

It so was!

In case you’d like to learn a little more about it, or would like to make a purse like this yourself, please visit my ONLINE SHOP.

Enjoy!

See you soon!

Love,
Petra

I made a very simple vegetable soup today.

After all the holiday feasting, this is exactly what my stomach craves these days.

This soup is so healthy.

And so soothing.

And so simple.

Aah…

And perfect for a cool, rainy winter’s day – just like the one we are having here today.

I make this kind of soup quite often, varying the ingredients depending on what’s there in my fridge or what I feel like adding in.

Today I used broccoli, carrot, and parsnip.

And I loved it.

Here’s what we need.

1. Heat the oil in a pot over medium-low heat. Once hot, add the chopped onions and sweat until they begin to soften, approximately 5-7 minutes.

2. Peel and mince the garlic and add it to the onions. Sweat for about 30 seconds.

3. Add the vegetables.

4. Add the vegetable stock.

5. Finally, add the chopped parsley and the ground black pepper.

6. Stir, cover, increase the heat to high, and bring to a simmer. Once simmering, reduce the heat and cook until the vegetables are fork tender. Approximately 25-30 minutes.

Then enjoy your healthy treat!

Do you have your traditional vegetable soup recipes, dear friends? What goes in it? Do tell!

Love,
Petra

I go through this life looking for beauty everywhere I go.

It’s the exercise I practice daily and the joy and love it brings to my heart is truly immense.

I love the world in all its moods and seasons – summer or winter, rain or shine – but when the sun is shining the brightest, the sky is the bluest blue, and the air is crisp and fresh, that is one of the world’s faces I like best.

Come along and enjoy some random pictures that I took in the past few days.

Eye candies!

Whee!

Ooops, how did this one get in?

Have a lovely time, dear friends!

See you soon!

Love,

Petra

Happy New Year, dear friends!

May it be filled with blessings, joy, and peace!

That is what I wish to you and to your loved ones from the bottom of my heart.

I decided to have no New Year’s resolutions this years. I have learned that I need day-by-day goals that are easily and quickly fulfilled rather than any huge, long term plans. That is the way I function, that is the way I like it.

So, following this pattern, I am glad to present to you the result of one of my projects that I had set for myself to finish during this Christmas time.

The Red Panda.

It’s for my nephew Gaby. I really hope he’ll like it. And I really hope you like it too.

And now I’m off to work on my next colorful crochet project. I love it already and I will surely show it to you once it’s finished.

Have a great beginning of the New Year!

See you soon!

Love,

Petra